Nigerians suspected in cybercrime attacks

Police have apprehended three Nigerians suspected of launching cybercrimes in the United States.

The men, arrested at an Ajman flat, are suspected of targeting the online accounts of people and organisations in the US and stealing private documents with the purpose to commit fraud.

Local authorities were alerted after receiving information from California security authorities, police said.

While the information provided did not include the men’s identities or whereabouts, a team from Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ajman police were able to locate them.

Among those arrested were B A, 24, the gang leader; G A, 26, and A A, 26, who had entered the UAE on a tourist visa.

Police monitored the suspects until they were confirmed to be in the same location. After they were apprehended police found electronic devices, documents relating to remittance, hacking software and a list of more than 5 million electronic bank accounts to be targeted by the gang.

UAE cybercrime laws states that those found guilty of accessing websites, electronic information systems, computer networks, or information technology without authorisation – whether such access is intended to obtain government data, or confidential information relating to a financial, commercial or economical facility – will be fined between Dh250,000 and Dh1.5 million.

They also face jail time.

A five-year jail sentence and fine of between Dh500,000 and Dh2m will be given to people charged with deleting, omitting, deteriorating, destructing, disclosing, altering, copying, publishing or republishing any information obtained in the above manner.

“Such a step has been made in a bid to entrench the efforts of peace and global security, and to protect the rights of citizens around the world,” the Ministry of Interior said of the arrests. “It works to enforce the law outside of the local context to serve the international community on one hand, and on the other, to effectively instill confidence and trust in the reputation and competency of the UAE and its various agencies.”